Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Lacy.
Hi Angela, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Thank you so much for featuring W.E.I. (Women Entrepreneurs and Influencers) I’m Angela “Chef Ang” Lacy (Founder), and the story of how Women Entrepreneurs and Influencers started is truly one of divine inspiration, fueled by a passion for service and entrepreneurship.
The Foundation: From Kitchens to Healthcare. My professional journey has always been diverse, rooted in service and excellence across several fields—hospitality, healthcare, and, of course, the culinary arts. As the Executive Chef and Owner of Vision Enterprises Unlimited (@veunlimited),
I’ve spent years dedicated to crafting exceptional culinary experiences.
My entrepreneurial spirit ignited from a young age through cooking. That passion for the kitchen—which requires creativity, meticulous planning, and the ability to bring people together—unintentionally laid the perfect groundwork for what W.E.I. would become.
The commitment to excellence I learned in the culinary and healthcare worlds became the driving ethos for empowering other women.
The Spark: The Birth of W.E.I.
The moment of inspiration for W.E.I. was crystal clear and recent. Just two years ago, during Women’s History Month, God laid it on my heart to create a platform specifically for women entrepreneurs and influencers.
• The Launch: I followed that calling immediately, and the response was incredible! W.E.I. took off like a wildfire across social media. It quickly became a vibrant hub for collaboration and networking at its finest, proving the profound need for this community.
• The Next Step: Once the digital community was thriving, the next clear direction came: God said, “Now bring everyone together under one roof.”
This was the birth of the “W.E.I. Brunch.” It became the physical manifestation of our mission—a space where we could honor the trailblazing women who paved the way and foster face-to-face connection and empowerment.
Today: Building a Thriving Community
Today, W.E.I. is more than just a network; it’s a supportive community dedicated to ensuring women can network, collaborate, and achieve their goals without feeling isolated.
My diverse background, from the structure of healthcare to the creativity of the kitchen, drives my commitment to fostering this thriving environment.
We are looking forward to our W.E.I. Brunch 2026, where we plan to continue that tradition of honoring our predecessors and inspiring the next generation. I simply can’t wait to BRUNCH with everyone and continue building this incredible movement!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road to building Women Entrepreneurs and Influencers (W.E.I.) has truly been a blessed road. Allowing God to lead the path has undeniably made the journey feel less arduous, giving us clarity and purpose when things got tough.
However, a “blessed road” isn’t the same as an easy road. The struggles we faced were less about insurmountable barriers and more about necessary growing pains and strategic execution.
1. When W.E.I. took off “like a wildfire” on social media, the initial struggle was managing that incredible, rapid growth.
• Challenge: The immediate demand for connection required us to quickly put systems and structures in place. This meant moving beyond simple social media posts to managing a database, moderating conversations, and ensuring the quality of interaction didn’t diminish as the numbers grew.
• The Blessing/Solution: God provided the right individuals—the right team members and volunteers—at the exact moment we needed them to help build the foundation, turning potential chaos into organized community.
2. Translating Digital Success to Physical Events. The transition from a booming online community to the “W.E.I. Brunch”—bringing everyone together “under one roof”—presented a new set of logistical hurdles.
• Challenge: Planning, coordinating, and funding high-quality, large-scale events like the brunch requires tremendous logistical effort (securing venues, managing vendors, handling ticketing, etc.). The stress of ensuring a flawless, inspiring experience for attendees is immense.
• The Blessing/Solution: The strong sense of community and collaboration that W.E.I. fosters meant that members stepped up to support the events, reinforcing the foundational principle of women supporting women, and ensuring the burden wasn’t carried alone.
3. Balancing Multiple Roles.
For me, personally, a key struggle is maintaining the delicate balance between my roles as Executive Chef/Owner of Vision Enterprises Unlimited and the Founder/Leader of W.E.I.
• Challenge: Juggling the demands of a high-end culinary business with the constant leadership and strategic planning required for a rapidly growing organization like W.E.I. can be exhausting. It demands constant discipline and time management.
• The Blessing/Solution: It is my faith that provides the focus and energy to manage these diverse callings. The work is unified by the core commitment to excellence and empowerment, which means even when the hours are long, the work is always fulfilling.
In summary, the bumps weren’t roadblocks, but rather tests of our faith and capacity that ultimately led to a stronger, more organized, and more resilient W.E.I.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
W.E.I. is the passion project and calling that brings all my skills in service and execution together, but focuses on human capital.
• What I Do/Mission: The goal is to lead a rapidly growing global community dedicated to supporting and elevating women in business and women who are also building their personal brands and influence.
• What I Specialize In: Our unique specialization is fostering genuine collaboration and mentorship—moving beyond superficial networking to create a space where women actively help each other scale and succeed.
The W.E.I. Brunch is the signature manifestation of this, designed to honor trailblazers and ignite new partnerships.
• What Sets Us Apart: What truly sets W.E.I. apart is the integration of business and influence and the faith-driven foundation. We don’t separate a woman’s business goals from her personal impact.
We believe that a woman’s voice and influence are her most valuable assets. By being community-led and God-guided, we focus on sustainable growth and profound impact, not just profit metrics.
What I Am Most Proud Of
I am most proud of creating a legacy of empowerment that transcends a single transaction.
With V.E.U., I’m proud of every client who says, “That was the most memorable catered event we’ve ever hosted.” But with W.E.I., I’m most proud of the moments when one W.E.I. member secures a major deal or finds a mentor thanks to a connection made in our network.
W.E.I. is an empire that is important for so many women, and seeing them step into their power and achieve goals they once thought were impossible is, without a doubt, my greatest achievement.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Who Deserves Credit:
The “flawless execution” of our signature events, particularly the W.E.I. Brunches, is the result of an incredible support system.
The Planning Team: These dedicated women are the logistical architects who pour their hearts into making everything perfect. They handle the management, organizing, and planning, ensuring every event seems effortless and proving time and again there is no “I” in team.
The Sponsors: Our Peer-to-Peer Advocates.
The financial and in-kind support for W.E.I. is truly a reflection of our core mission. Our sponsors are primarily small, women-owned businesses and fellow influencers who contribute and donate. This is not corporate funding; this is peer-to-peer advocacy and investment in one another.
When these women and their businesses step up, they are making a public investment in the success of their peers. Their contributions, whether monetary or through in-kind services, allow us to maintain a high level of quality, invest in growth, and amplify our mission of economic empowerment for female entrepreneurs and Influencers
We are most proud of the legacy of empowerment W.E.I. is building—seeing women step into their power, find their voice, and achieve goals they once thought were impossible.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Women_entrepreneurs_influencer
- Facebook: Women Entrepreneurs and influencers
